1907 Map of Sun Prairie

About this map

Sun Prairie and its surrounding agricultural townships appear here during a period of significant railway development in Dane County. The landscape is defined by the complex glacial topography of the region, featuring numerous wetland systems like Brazee Swamp and notable elevations such as Liberty Mound. This 1905 survey documents the early 20th-century reliance on rail networks for transporting livestock and grain, with the Chicago Milwaukee And ST. Paul RR and the Chicago And Northwestern RR threading through established dairy country. These lines connected smaller trade hubs like Marshall, Deerfield, and Cottage Grove to larger markets, while providing vital transit for now-smaller locales like Nora and Vilas. The map also captures the intricate drainage patterns of the Waterloo Creek and Koshkonong Creek watersheds, which dictated the placement of early settlements and roads throughout the southern Wisconsin prairies.